Third and Final Affordable Beef Quota Tranche Opens with 99% Capacity Remaining

The third and final tranche of the 2026 Affordable Beef tariff-rate quota opened October 31, providing 100 million kilograms of additional quota access for eligible beef imports, primarily from Brazil, through November 30.

As of November 3, the tranche is just 1% filled, with 993,701 kilograms utilized and approximately 99 million kilograms remaining.

This marks the final tranche of the 300,000-metric-ton Affordable Beef quota expansion for 2026. Importers should continue monitoring utilization and coordinating entry timing to take advantage of available quota capacity before the November 30 deadline or until the quota fills, whichever comes first.

October 2026 Quota at a Glance

Quota period	October 31, 2026 – November 30, 2026
Quota category	Other Countries – Affordable Beef
Quota limit	100,000,000 kg
Quota filled	1% (993,701  kg)
Quota remaining	99% (99,006,299kg)
95% threshold	95,000,000 kg
Status	Open
Last updated	November 3, 2026

Figures reflect the most recent quota utilization data available at the time of posting.

Why Importers Should Monitor the Quota

Although significant capacity remains available, utilization can accelerate as the tranche progresses. Importers with qualifying beef shipments arriving this month should monitor quota availability and consider entry timing as part of their import planning.

Duty Exposure When the Quota Fills

While quota capacity remains available, qualifying entries may receive the applicable in-quota duty rate. Once available capacity is exhausted, subsequent entries may be subject to the applicable over-quota duty rate.

Get Beef Quota Updates

Alba tracks quota utilization throughout the period and will update this page as additional capacity is used.

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Questions about your shipments or quota exposure? Contact the Alba team for help evaluating entry timing and potential duty impacts.